Nitro coffee to get you high in Shanghai

Cold coffee with a tap injection of nitrous oxide sure sounds like a drug, but is a much tastier and cheaper way to get your kick on in the morning. Sumerian Coffee, located on Shaanxi Bei Lu, started serving this chilled coffee with a fizzy texture and distinctive taste since the beginning of March. The man of the place, Dave, says the brew “is the best invention in coffee serving since espresso was created” and you will most probably agree after having a cup of the liquid.Any coffee aficionado is probably familiar with the few coffee places in Shanghai where you can get freshly roasted and brewed coffee in a relaxed atmosphere and Sumerian Coffee easily makes it to the list. Now you have one more reason not to put an end to your coffee cravings, besides the news that Chinese researchers discovered that coffee may lower diabetes risk.David is always around to teach you something new about coffee. When you don’t find him there, he is probably in California scooping for the latest coffee trends or buying new equipment for the place. Former merchandiser for Apple in the U.S., Dave decided he could replicate what he learned there in order to educate consumers in China on drinking coffee. That’s how he started Sumerian Coffee-the café, a wholesale business and the coffee classes they hold every weekend. At Sumerian everything is done by hand, they say you have to make it an experience. Dave can also give you the “You need to change an idea in order to change the behavior” speech and you will listen to it. He’s that serious.Café customers and coffee class participants are half Chinese and half expats, so you know who you can run into when you go there for a cuppa.Starting March 14th, the café will have a new interior design in order to acclimate to the developing business and to accommodate more people. You’ve been warned: you might find out it’s closed for about three days this week. Other than that, the plans for expansion don’t include another café in Shanghai, but in Beijing and other second tier cities in China. Sumerian maintains its focus on wholesale to the best hotels and restaurants in town.They have also brought in new coffee this March: 160 kg bags from Mexico, Ethiopia, Kenya, Honduras or Sumatra.Sumerian Coffee is located at 415 Shanxi Bei Lu (near Beijing Xi Lu) in Jing’an // Phone: 136 2174 0969 // 8:30-19:00By Andreea Dragut